On April 18th, 1980, Southern Rhodesia, the richest nation in Africa, officially gained independence from the United Kingdom and established majority rule for the first time in its history. Anti-colonial freedom fighter Robert Mugabe became the new president and the country was renamed Zimbabwe. Keeping a hold on power through rigged elections, intimidation and violence, Mugabe subsequently ran the countryâ??s economy, health and education sectors and food supply into the ground. In 2000, the government introduced a fast-track land reform program in which war veterans and other Mugabe supporters marched on white-owned farms and seized the land, killing many in the process. Much of this land was redistributed not to the black poor as was intended, but to Mugabeâ??s cronies and other party supporters.
A large portion of arable land was destroyed and Zimbabwe, previously known as â??the Breadbasket of Africaâ? became food insecure. By 2008, inflation had reached 11 million percent, the HIV/AIDS rate was 25%, and 45% of the population was malnourished. Edward Lanpher served there from 1982-86 and was Ambassador from 1991-95; Joseph G. Sullivan was Ambassador from 2001-04. They describe Mugabeâ??s psychological desire to be in the spotlight over Nelson Mandela, how the crisis came about, and the countryâ??s wait until Mugabe finally leaves the scene. Lanpher and Sullivan were both interviewed by Charles Stuart Kennedy, beginning in June 2002 and January 2009.
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